"Hot flashes not only impact a patient's quality of life, they are associated with patients prematurely discontinuing breast cancer treatment, which may increase the risk of breast cancer recurrence and mortality", says Dr. Leon-Ferre. These findings were presented at the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. Breast Cancer Index holds guidelines designation from the American Joint Committee on Cancer for cancer staging based on molecular profile; ASCO, NCCN, European Group on Tumor Markers (EGTM), and St. Gallen to inform the chemotherapy decision; and ASCO and EGTM to inform the extended endocrine treatment dilemma. It is most commonly used to treat urinary incontinence. The researchers enrolled 150 women who had experienced at least 28 hot flashes per week over more than a month, and who were bothered enough by them to want medication. Eighty-nine percent of the women had had reconstructive surgery.

Patients in the Oxy2.5 arm had a mean change in HF score of -10.6, compared with -5.7 with placebo.

The study found that women taking the medicine had an average of five fewer hot flashes a week, compared with three fewer among women taking a placebo. The women in both oxybutynin arms also reported decreased interference of hot flashes in their work, social activities, leisure activities, sleep, and improvement in their overall quality of life. That's left women who can't take hormones at a disadvantage. He says that oxybutynin does not interfere with the metabolism of tamoxifen, which is an important consideration for breast cancer survivors, as some of the most effective non-hormonal treatments for hot flashes (e.g. antidepressants) are thought to potentially decrease the efficacy of tamoxifen.

Leon-Ferre said that since oxybutynin is already available for other indications, physicians could potentially prescribe it now off-label.

Previous research has indicated that hot flashes may be relieved with oxybutynin, an anticholinergic agent. This breakthrough test helps oncologists and patients navigate the hard trade-off between taking steps to prevent recurrence of their disease and facing significant side effects and safety challenges related to unnecessary treatment.

The research, an ad hoc secondary analysis of the Women's Health Initiative (WHI) clinical trial and observational study cohorts, was restricted to postmenopausal participants with a BMI ranging from 18.5 to 24.9.

Using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to assess body fat in more detail, elevated breast cancer risk was found in postmenopausal women with normal BMIs but high measurements of whole-body fat, percentage of whole-body fat, and trunk fat mass, according to researchers led by Neil Iyengar, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. For information on cancer clinical trials, call the Clinical Trials Referral Office at 1-855-776-0015 (toll-free).